Title: President and CEO of Comtel Communications and Simplicity VoIP. Comtel is a Henrico County-based telecom and technology consulting firm. Simplicity VoIP is a VoIP provider for businesses.
Born: 1967 in Richmond.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in marketing from Virginia Commonwealth University, 1990.
Career: Started Comtel Communications in December 1991, serving as president ever since; started Simplicity VoIP in 2013.
In which part of town do you live? River Road corridor.
Best business decision: “Starting Simplicity VoIP.”
Worst business decision: “Early in the game, I outsourced our client services to another state before I realized that providing those services locally is our greatest asset.”
Mistake you learned the most from: “During the telecom bust, we should have diversified more instead utilizing only a handful of providers.”
What is the biggest challenge/opportunity in the next two to five years? “Staying ahead of the rapid pace of change in technology and ensuring we continue to bring those products and services to our clients effectively and efficiently.”
First job after college: “A six-month contract with International Voyager Media, which operated the port lecturer program for Admiral Cruises, owned by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. This program insured passenger satisfaction and quality control with the merchants that the line recommended.”
If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently? “Never explain, never complain.”
Book that inspired you the most: “Mastering the Rockefeller Habits” by Verne Harnish.
Favorite/least favorite subject in school: Favorite: history. Least favorite: algebra.
See the online newspaper version here: http://www.richmond.com/business/local/article_91104c11-3d34-5a3b-97ed-05e774268e39.html